No More Wedding Mags

Martha Stewart, InStyle Weddings (RIP), Elegant Brides (RIP) and The Knot are piled high on my bookshelf.  Even though most of the wedding details were finalized months ago, I felt compelled to buy the latest issues of my favorite wedding magazines.  After about a year’s worth of magazines, it’s time to give it a rest.  There isn’t anything in there that I haven’t figured out or decided on.  The only thing it does is create more of a mess for the fiancé to get annoyed about and occasionally cause me to second guess myself.  Bye Bye Magazines.

Crash Diet

The dress fits.  Really well.  Would I like to be more sculpted or trim?  Perhaps.  But why try to lose 5-10 pounds and risk an ill-fitting dress that took nearly a year to perfect??  I work out 4 times a week already – and I might increase the arm exercises, but as for losing weight before the wedding?  Nah… I look like me and I feel like me.  That works.

Agonizing Over the Invitee List

I have spent a lot of time feeling stressed and overwhelmed as the number of invitees kept growing and growing.  I also agonized over all of the people that I could have/should have invited.  Not everyone is going to be happy.  Some people might be annoyed that they feel obligated to go to a wedding on a holiday weekend.  Others might be hurt or annoyed that they didn’t get an invitation.  I hope that everyone who comes to the wedding has a great time and I hope that those who were hurt about not receiving an invitation are able to forgive me.  There is only so much I can do – it’s a little late to worry about it anymore.

Checking the Registry

Yes – brides do it.  I have been doing it.  It’s quite exciting (albeit very self indulging) to watch the gifts you handpicked get crossed off the list as they are shipped to your door.  But I hate myself a little bit every time I check my wedding registry – and especially when I think “why hasn’t anyone gotten me this yet?”  I am even embarrassed to be writing about it – but I know all brides do this.  It’s normal…right?!  But I miss the element of surprise.  I want to get a box and not really know what is inside of it.  And I don’t want to feel like a totally selfish, bratty Veruca Salt.

I had envisioned my wedding style to be flowy dress with flowy hair.  Then I tried on THE dress.  Without getting into details, I will say it is definitely not flowy – and the back?!  Well, I can’t really wear my hair down with this dress.

Since “updos” aren’t my typical style, I have been looking to the recent red carpet styles to try and find a look that suits me.  Below are some of my faves – which one do you like best?  And if you think I missed one – please let me know!  I need some help!

Sandra Bullock’s dress at the 2010 Golden Globes got mixed reviews from the critics – but I love how soft her hair looks.  It’s not overly worked and still has enough movement so I won’t feel to bare without my hair down.

Anna Kendrick is a break-through beauty since her role in “Up in the Air”.  I happen to really like the dress she wore to the globes – but her hair is what really caught my eye.  (notice a pattern?)

I haven’t watched “The Hills” in several seasons so it’s not like Kristin Cavallari is on my radar regularly – however, her hair looks pretty spectacular here at the “When in Rome” premiere.

I have always loved Debra Messing – and I always love her style.  Her hair at the 2009 Emmy’s looked chic and polished.  Would it work for me?

DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional movie critic.  I don’t expect everyone to agree with my thoughts and I am sorry to anyone I offend with my opinion of the movie.  I know how passionate people are about this film

When I first heard about Avatar a few months ago I didn’t think I would ever see the movie.  For one, I am not a huge James Cameron fan (that’s right – didn’t LOVE Titanic).  More importantly, I didn’t get a good sense of what the movie was about, and the title didn’t grab me.

Cut to the week Avatar opens in the theater and everyone I know is telling me what an amazing movie it is.  Academy Award worthy!  Such an interesting commentary on modern society!  The CGI was truly amazing!  After that, I figured I really had to see it.  So I grabbed Meg and we bought tickets for New Years Eve.  IMAX.  3-D.  Done.

The Lame-Line General

Let me preface this by saying that I haven’t seen a movie in 3-D since saw “Captain EO” when I was 9.  So as Meg and I put on our very attractive 3D glasses (mine went OVER my regular glasses) I started to get nervous.  My eyes were having a very hard time adjusting – I felt like I had to keep looking in different directions and couldn’t just relax. How will I survive 3 hours? 20 minutes later, my eyes adjusted and I was able to sit back and absorb the film. Yes – the CGI was pretty incredible.  How they combined the graphics with the actors was fantastic!  But the story?  REALLY?  Not only was his “social commentary” completely obvious and uninteresting, but I actually laughed out-loud at some of the absurd and poorly written lines (i.e., anything Colonel Quaritch said).

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed the movie (albeit a little long – although what movies aren’t too long these days?).  But I liked Avatar like I liked Independence Day.  It was a fun escapist movie that had some cool graphics and a thin plot.  Oh yeah – Sam Worthington is very easy on the eyes.

Yummy Sam

Had this movie come out over the summer and was touted as a fantastic summer blockbuster I think I would have been pleasantly surprised!  Sadly, the angling for award season left me, as Michael Kors would say, “underwhelmed.”  It should win awards for film editing, visual effects and even sound editing!  But best picture?  I think not.

Courtesy of Flickr user Marshed

After coming down from the shock and excitement from my surprise engagement I sat with my new fiancé and we decided we wanted a small wedding (75 people MAX) outside of Los Angeles.  Cut to a few hours later, upon telling my parents of my brilliant plan, my mother laughed at the guest number and told me that wouldn’t even cover our family alone.  Let the wedding stress begin!

I love my parents and love that they are so excited for my wedding – and aside from advising me that I should do my wedding in my hometown of Los Angeles (so Grandma Ann and Grandma Ona can come) and upping the number of invites (we do have a lot of wonderful friends and family) they have let me make my wedding choices.  My main goal is to stay completely sane and refuse to become the bridezilla that I have seen many people around me turn into.  While these choices may not be for everyone – these are the things that I have done to make my life for the next year a little more tolerable.

Hired a Wedding Planner

Design by Beth Helmstetter, Photography by Steve Steinhardt

At first, my mom and I thought that our years of event planning would make this wedding planning thing a breeze.  After I started to make the “to-do” list – and tried to figure out how that would work out while having a full time job – I turned to my mother and we decided hiring a professional to do this would make our lives a whole lot easier.  I found the lovely and talented Beth Helmstetter from flipping through magazines and searching bridal blogs.  Her aesthetic is AMAZING and she couldn’t be nicer.  Adding her to my life has been a complete blessing.

No Bridesmaids

Much to the dismay of many of my friends, I opted out of bridesmaids.  I always knew my cousin (who is 3 months older and like a sister to me) would be my maid of honor.  With my cousin by my side, my fiancé’s brother on his side, I immediately felt at ease.  I decided to make my brother my best man – and the bridal party of three was set.  No hurt feelings.  No unhappy girls in dresses they don’t want to buy.  No coordinating schedules.  Immediate relief.

No Save The Dates

This was a tough decision – and one that my mother did not accept willingly.  My wedding is on the Sunday of a holiday weekend (I know some of you are rolling your eyes, but when you are Jewish and want a summer wedding, you can’t start your wedding until after sundown on a Saturday – and that could be like 8:30pm!).  Every rule in the book says I should be sending save the dates.  But I have chosen against them for several reasons.  1) Nearly everyone who is invited already knows when and where the wedding is.  2) Procrastinating on getting the invitation style together made me realize I was cutting it awfully close to the date I should be sending the Save The Dates, and rushing to get them out seemed way too stressful.  3) Isn’t the invitation the save the date??  How many times do I really need to remind people that I am getting married?

Small Group for Dress Shopping

I went dress shopping three times.  The first time I went with my grandma and mother.  The second time I just went with my mom.  The third time I brought my mom and cousin.  On the third time I found my dress. All three of us loved the dress.  I didn’t need more opinions to confuse my choice.  I have seen how large groups can upset a bride (I watch Say Yes To The Dress!)  Keeping it small and personal made everything so much easier.

Knowing When to Stop Talking About It

I think it is very sweet when people ask me about my wedding.  And I love talking about it – to an extent.  But after a while, there are only so many things I can say about my wedding colors, flower choices, dress, table linens… I tend to keep my answers to wedding questions short and sweet.  Some people have laughed at me calling me the “anti-bride” because I don’t want to gush over every detail.  The fact is, I am looking forward to my wedding – but talking about it all the time in great detail starts to stress me out.  I want to enjoy the process and I want to enjoy the day.  It’s not that I hate my wedding and hate talking about it – I just hate feeling stressed.

Alice + Olivia

Alice + Olivia make the most drool-worthy mini-dresses.  Every season they surprise me with a fantastic new collection of thigh-skimming dresses that are both wonderfully wild and still tasteful.  This season, my favorite dress of is the forest green sequin mini-dress with the keyhole back.  Super sexy, super chic.  Neiman Marcus, $495

Aqua, Courtesy of Polyvore

I would NEVER wear the real thing – but bring on the fake fur!!  Aqua, at Bloomingdales, always has some of the hottest trends at reasonable prices.  This fake mink looks beyond cozy and looks great with a cocktail dress or jeans.  Too much for me?? Bloomingdales, $188

Christian Louboutin

I am 5’9” without heels, so I have been very apprehensive to jump into the 3+ inch heel craze.  Christian Louboutin is my constant obsession, but at nearly 5 inches high, amazing Ernesta T-Strap Satin Sandal would put me a little out of my HCZ (Height Comfort Zone).  Neiman Marcus, $875

Simon Tu

One of the hottest ways to spice up an outfit is with great accessories!   Bold, fabulous and colorful, this Veined Turquoise Necklace by Simon Tu could bring even the dullest outfit to life.  Maybe I will ease into a turquoise statement piece with a single pendent – and continue to lust after this glamour piece.  Virve.com, $745

To kick off my first post and honor my passion for dessert, I have decided to list my favorite eight desserts of all time (and by all time, I mean my life).  They range from the widely available to geographically undesirable – but they all have one thing in common.  Deliciousness.  I imagine picking my absolute favorite would be like choosing a favorite child – so these are in no particular order.

Source: Flickr user Devil's Angel

Growing up, it was Thrifty’s – but the change to Rite Aid hasn’t changed the fantastic creaminess and crunch of Thrifty’s Chocolate Malted Crunch at Rite Aid.  Yes, it’s ice cream from a drug store, but you would never know it from the taste.  When I was little, my dad would always take me for a scoop and it cost about $.39.  Even though it’s over a dollar now, it’s still the best deal around.  Now that they sell it by the gallon, my freezer is never without it.

I may live in the city now, but I am a San Fernando Valley girl at heart (whether I like to admit it or not).  Unfortunately the valley has only recently tried to tap into the world of good food and good fun for adults.  The Rack in Los Angeles opened up a few years ago and finally valley-ites had a place to eat, drink and be merry.  The #1 reason I go: Cinnamon Apple & Walnut Bread Pudding.  Pour a little of the maple bourbon cream over the top and you will be sure to believe there is heaven on earth.   Like totally, for sure.

I like to think that watching the Food Network all these years makes me a bonafide chef.  Ok, so I may not be an expert cook, but I must credit one of the best I have made to the lovely Giada De Laurentiis.  Her Blueberry and Mascarpone Turnovers are pretty simple to make and are the perfect blend of fruity and rich.  You can make a batch to impress your friends – or you can save them all for yourself.

Source: Paisley Petunia Blog

I used to always ask my mom make butterscotch pudding from the box.  I would have listed that as one of my favorites, but I was blessed with a recent experience at Pizzeria Mozza in L.A. that changed everything.  The Butterscotch Budino is sinfully delectable.  Served with two rosemary cookies, a dollop of fresh whipped cream and sprinkled with sea salt, the creamy and sweet pudding is perfectly balanced by the salty topping.  Mario Batali – you are my hero.

While I love chocolate, when it comes to cookies I am a sugar cookie girl.  Luckily, there is a Corner Bakery near the office so I can indulge in their soft and chewy Sugar Cookies on almost a weekly basis.  The habit has gotten so bad that my colleagues grab me one when they are nearby because they know how happy it makes me.  The Surgeon General should consider putting a warning label on them – they are highly addictive.

I didn’t attend UCSB (I was a Trojan – Fight On!), but my cousin did.  One time before we went out for a night of trouble making she ordered regular pizza and dessert pizza from this little place called WoodStock. O. M. G.  CinnaBread, how you haunt my dreams!  It’s wonderful pizza bread covered in cinnamon & butter gooiness with a light sugar frosting that melted from each piece.  From then on, whenever I went to Santa Barbara, I forced my cousin to take me there.  It’s been a while since I have had it, but I will never forget it.

Source Flickr User Goldberg's Photostream

When Sex and the City made Magnolia Bakery cupcakes in N.Y.C. famous, I was determined to try it (and clearly I wasn’t the only one).  The cupcakes were pretty darn good – BUT nothing compared to their Banana Pudding.  Their layers of banana, wafers and pudding don’t seem groundbreaking when I explain it, but I licked the container clean – it was THAT good.  Thank goodness they have opened up more locations since SATC!

While I do love all desserts, ice cream (and all variations of) is my absolute favorite.  If I am craving a malt (that’s a malt, not a milkshake!) I go to Baskin Robbins for a Mint Chip Malt.  I don’t ever ever EVER want to know the fat and calorie content of their malts – ignorance is truly bliss.

–Kim